Bristol Uni students could be fined £100 for noisy house parties

Noisy students at the University of Bristol who keep their neighbours awake at night can expect fines of £100 or more.

The code of conduct which students sign when starting at Bristol University includes penalties for "breaches of local rules and regulations."

If a house party generates the noise, each resident will be fined.

These photos do not relate to any house parties which have been reported

In the case of repeat offences, students can be fined up to £250 as well as an extra £50 for attending anti-social behaviour impact awareness sessions.

The money made available by these fines is reinvested into community projects aimed at encourage social cohesion between students and local residents.

Conversations about student noise have come to light partly due to The Noise Pages — a forum created by Bristol resident Andrew Waller, on which residents can report noise disturbance, such as that caused by house parties.

These photos do not relate to any house parties which have been reported

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Waller explained that "residents feel frustrated at how the noise issue has developed over recent years."

He cites on his website, that between the academic years 2016-17 and 2017-18, noise complaints to the university have gone up by 52% and the number of reported house parties by 24%.

The news of fines has clearly provoked strong feeling from the student body.

The graph found on The Noise Pages

Amelia, a Theology student, said: "If they [the university] are worried about their reputation, then they need to make a strong effort to teach us the importance of being courteous neighbours, not simply enforce punishments once the problem has occurred."

"It’s a bit of a classic from Bristol Uni to address things after the problem has already happened and not try to prevent the cause."

Meanwhile Tamsin, an English student, commented: "Fines won’t make a difference. People might just start charging entry fees for house parties."

Clearly the issue is far from solved and at the moment, the debate is merely polarising the views of students and local residents rather than encouraging harmony in the communities.